Arsenal Hoping To Keep Defensive Star Beyond 2015 - Report

Arsenal have entered into talks with defender Per Mertesacker regarding a new deal with the Germany international's current contract due to expire in 2015.

Mertesacker made the move to north London in the summer of 2011 as one of Wenger's last minute signings on the back of an 8-2 thrashing by Manchester United.

At first he was touted by many as a failure in the Premier League upon arrived from Werder Bremen but after two seasons he appears to be in the form of his career, helping the Gunners to top spot on the Premier League table.

And now the Express are reporting that Arsene Wenger is set to reward the 29 year old with a new deal that will overshadow his current contract which runs out in the summer of 2015.

Wenger is keen to tie down Mertesacker, who currently earns a wage of around £65,000 per week, for the rest of his career. He has linked up successfully with Laurent Koscielny so far this season and as the Gunners look to make more purchases in the January transfer window the manager wants to secure the future of several big name players.

One of the issues in recent seasons for Arsenal has been letting players wind down their contracts, with both Robin van Persie and Samir Nasri eventually leaving the club.

And with that in mind the Frenchman is looking to pre-empt players considering their futures and offer Mertesacker a deal early on to make a successful squad for the long term.